audio quality. phone vs skype

[russw]

John,

I dig the podcast but sometimes your voice really over powers the phone audio of the folks you interview. have you thought about using skype or some other VOIP service?

Yeah I know it would mean doing some tech support with helping your guests get setup... but the audio quality of a podcast like TWiT as compared to yours is day and night.

I'm sure you could get Bendis to do it for the next Bendis tapes and would thus shame Lobe into action... get those two and the others will fall like dominos

[ashwin]

I've actually wondered why you don't use skype or something like it too. I guess it's a problem if the guest doesn't know how to use it but it'll be easier for you to record and edit plus the quality would be superior too.

[hamgmt]

do you do all your interviews using your radio stations equipment? i know some of them are way late at night so i assumed you were at home, but maybe i'm wrong, i know you have mentioned being at the station once or twice when i listened...that have anything to do with it? (personally i don't know as much about skype and all that, just reading the question made me wonder if that might have anything to do with it...)

-bob :)

[sonnylarue]

99% of the interviews are done at home, with a phone-computer connecting device called broadcast host from jk audio.

it is a device that many radio stations use as well.

not sure what twit uses beyond skype, but frankly i'm happy with the tech i use, and unless the creator is hip to skype, i don't make them get it.

i believe i've solved the low phone line problem, the only time it's an issue is when the person on the phone line starts to speak quietly , like the loebs and bendis's.

older interviews do have that balance issue where i am much lopuder.

i try to currently compensate and mix my voice lower than the phone line, but again it starts with my microphone being a louder device than a phone line.

[Thomas Mauer]

The German "Checklist Comicast" podcast does interviews via Skype and records with Pamela (http://www.pamela-systems.com). The quality only depends on how good the headsets are. Something to look into, at least. :)

[changingshades]

I've been having issues with my computer's speakers. I get no sound at all. It's pissing me off

[russw]

John,

While I enjoyed the content of the recent Brubaker podcast, I respectfully submit to you that the audio quality sucked.

I'm still hoping that you will explore the skype option and to that end here is a quick primer on how to use podcast using skype.


http://www.henshall.com/blog/archives/001056.html

click on the "get instructions"

[nickmaynard85]

i used this on my old podcast, after seeing ron from ifanboy talking about using it for their podcast.

http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator

Have you ever recorded an interview in which you and your guest ended up at different volumes? How about a panel discussion where some people were close to microphones and others were not?

It's not a compressor, normalizer or limiter although it contains all three. It's much more than those tools, and it's much simpler to use. The UI is dirt-simple: Drag-and-drop any WAV or AIFF file onto The Leveler's application window, and a few moments later you'll find a new version which just sounds better.

it's really really great.

[Arion]

I've actually wondered why you don't use skype or something like it too. I guess it's a problem if the guest doesn't know how to use it but it'll be easier for you to record and edit plus the quality would be superior too.

I think it is a good suggestion.

[NeverWanderer]

Does Skype still have connection problems, though? I'd imagine that with some of these peoples' schedules, waiting for Skype to cooperate would hurt interview time.

[Arion]

Does Skype still have connection problems, though? I'd imagine that with some of these peoples' schedules, waiting for Skype to cooperate would hurt interview time.

Haven't used Skype in the past few months but I think I never found a connection problem.

[Alan(OW)Barnes]

Hey John,
Just wanted to let you know that I love your podcast, and though I am not bothered by your audio, I hear this audio complaint a lot when I tell people about your show.

My unsolicited $.02:

I'm familiar with the Broadcast Host and it is a wonderful device, much more professional than the skype solution...I think your audio fidelity issues may have more to do with the EQ/dynamic compression/data compression settings you use.

You have the BEST podcast out there, but I know you loose listeners because of this issue.

Seriously, I'm full time faculty at the Art Institute of Atlanta's audio production department, I've worked as an audio consultant for 3 radio stations in Atlanta as well as Todd A.O. editworks (http://www.todd-ao.com/), I've recorded dozens of CDs, and I've helped Peabo Bryson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peabo_Bryson), Brendan O'Brien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_O%27Brien_(music_producer)), and Matt Serletic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Serletic) with their audio issues...

Can I help?

[sonnylarue]

Hey John,
Just wanted to let you know that I love your podcast, and though I am not bothered by your audio, I hear this audio complaint a lot when I tell people about your show.

My unsolicited $.02:

I'm familiar with the Broadcast Host and it is a wonderful device, much more professional than the skype solution...I think your audio fidelity issues may have more to do with the EQ/dynamic compression/data compression settings you use.

You have the BEST podcast out there, but I know you loose listeners because of this issue.

Seriously, I'm full time faculty at the Art Institute of Atlanta's audio production department, I've worked as an audio consultant for 3 radio stations in Atlanta as well as Todd A.O. editworks (http://www.todd-ao.com/), I've recorded dozens of CDs, and I've helped Peabo Bryson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peabo_Bryson), Brendan O'Brien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_O%27Brien_(music_producer)), and Matt Serletic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Serletic) with their audio issues...

Can I help?

sure!

e-mail me, john@wordballoon.com


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